A publication associated with the extremist group Islamic State (IS) has confirmed the death of the British militant nicknamed "Jihadi John" who appeared in several videos showing the beheadings of hostages.

The intelligence group SITE, which tracks terrorist activity, said IS published a eulogy for "Jihadi John," whose real name was Mohammed Emwazi, in its English-language propaganda magazine Dabiq.

The extremist group said Emwazi was killed in November "as the car he was in was targeted in a strike by an unmanned drone in the city of Raqa, destroying the car and killing him instantly."

The U.S. military said in November it was "reasonably certain" that Emwazi was killed in a drone strike.

Kuwaiti-born Emwazi had been described by a former hostage as a bloodthirsty psychopath who enjoyed threatening Western hostages.

He appeared in videos showing the murders of several hostages, including U.S. journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, and Japanese journalist Kenji Goto.